Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-02-14

punched his ticket and had takel
, fare from a passenger across tn
| aisle who gave him (Sturtevant)
, five dollar bill. This he could no
change, but informed the passenge
that he would return with the prope'
change in a few moments. Mr.. Prev
!, left the car at this point because, a:
he said. there was too much noise
in the car made by a party of young
people from Concord, \. H., Ell
route for the Montreal carnival. AZ
he passed into the smoker he heard
a jar, and what appeared like a tug
ging at the coupling of the cars. He
re-opened the door and the four re-
naming cars of the train were seer
barely for a second dashing down
the sixty-five foot embankment. The
train was brought to a standstill az
soon as possible, and backed up to
the scene of the accident. The -four
cars were found down the embank-
ment completely overturned and in
less than twenty minutes were one
mass of flames.
The scene beggars description.
Mingled with the uproar of the flames
were the cries of the imprisoned pas
sengers crying Help! help. help
me The few passengers who were
in the smoker and the employees of
the railroad and the mail service
were struck dumb at the terrible
sight before them. The most col
lected men rendered what little SER
vice was possible, but the heat of
the fast burning cars would drive
them away before much could be
accomplished.
The rear car as is shown by the
position of the cars after they fell, left
the track about 80 rods southeast of
the bridge, caused by the breaking of
one of the axles nearly in the middle
of this car, the two pieces of which
have since been found. There are
marks and cuts on the ties made by
the ends of the broken axle. When
the bridge was reached this car went
over the side and pulled with it the
other sleeper and passenger coaches
which fell to the ice so feet below.
Nj. Henry W. Tewksbury of West
Randolph, VT, says that he was in
the first day coach. He was doing
at the time of the accident, but was
aroused by feeling the car jumping
upon the railroad ties. He had been
in two railroad accidents before this
me-, and knew what the sensation
portended. Realizing that an acct
dent was about to occur, he jumped
from his seat with the intention of
making his escape. The train seem
ed to come to a standstill or go very
slow. He thought it was all right and
so sat down again. Then without a
moment notice that anything fur
Their was to occur, the car seemed to
leap into space, and then came a ter
rible crash. For a moment he was
stunned, and hardly knew whether
he was alive OF dead. He tried to
move, but could not bulge an inch.
He noticed with great alarm that fire
had broken out at the further end of
the car.
He struggled with all his strengthto
free himself, and screamed for help
but there was no one at hand to help
INN. 1t was a time of mental torture.
but still he conld not help noticing an
old couple a few seats above him.
They sought to get out, but were
helplessly tied down by heavy seats.
The flames approached the couple
with frightful rapidity. and the aged
pair seemed to feel there was no hope
for them. The last he saw of them
they were locked in each others arms
in the act of kissing. The smoke
and flames now enveloped them, hld-
ing them from view.
Mr.. Tewkshury then gave himself
up for lost. He seized his fur cap
and wound it around his face so as to
oye his eyes and hide the dreadful
view of approaching death. At this
time the railroad bridge above him
was one mass of fire and heavy burn
ing timber were falling all above him.
Having leaned back resignedly to
meet what seemed his fearful fate,
his hopes of life were renewed by
hearing voices. He unwound his cap
and saw the engineer and fireman
close at hand. He called them fran
tically for assistance which they prof
fered at once. Selling hold of him
his rescuers sought to pull him out,
but failed. Thinking his was a hope
less case, they were about to leave
him and help others, but he begged
them to try again, and to break his
leg if necessary, They did so and
managed to get him out, breaking
his leg and arm in the effort. The
flames were so close upon Mr.. TeWks=
bury that his clothing was burned
from his body.
A FEARFUL SCENE.
Frank Winch, a travelling salesman
of a New York house, was In one of
the sieeperss He says that when the
flames approached many for the first
time began to realize the danger of
death from their prisons. Until the
! a